ELLE Decoration UK September 2021

The world’s rather a strange place right now, isn’t it?’ These words seem to have taken over my life. Whether I’m meeting old friends or complete strangers, they just fall out of my mouth again and again, like some sort of pandemic-induced Tourette’s. I just can’t help it… But I’m right – things are strange and I’m not sure I like this alternate reality we now find ourselves in. It somehow seems to merge the worst bits of our pre-Covid existence (no work-life balance and never-ending FOMO) with the hell of lockdowns (no international travel and queueing for everything). Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to have a social life that involves more than deciding about which Netflix series to tackle next, but as restrictions relax, cases rise and our government…

Every issue of ELLE Decoration is packed full of inspiration, information and ideas, with a mix of styles, products and price points that will help you make your home as stylish as your wardrobe. Editor-in-Chief GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE • 68% OFF the shop price • FREE INSTANT DIGITAL ACCESS* to the latest issue when you subscribe online • Receive LIMITED-EDITION covers • FREE delivery to your door every month in recyclable packaging • NEVER miss an issue • CANCEL any time JUST £1.66 PER ISSUE EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER-ONLY COVERS SUBSCRIBE AT OUR LOWEST PRICE: HEARSTMAGAZINES.CO.UK/EC-MAGAZINE OR CALL 01858 438 877‡ QUOTING 1EC12119 LINES OPEN MON–FRI 8AM–9.30PM, SAT 8AM–4PM Terms and conditions Offer valid for UK subscriptions only. After your first 3 issues, your payments will continue at the rate of £23.99 every 6 issues, saving 23%. All orders will be acknowledged, and you…

Centenary of style Family-run design firm Alessi is celebrating a landmark 100 years with a series of 12 special reissues from its archives, each relating to one of the brand’s values. The theme of ‘Industrial Craftsmanship’ is represented by the wooden ‘Twergi’ collection, which includes several pieces designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1989. The spice grinders and jar (pictured) are typical of his provocative playfulness and punchy colour palette. Also included are photo frames by Bortolani Becchelli Associati and Kuno Prey, and a bottle opener by Andrea Branzi. From £28 (alessi.com). DREAM IN COLOUR Exclusive to Marylebone boutique Mouki Mou, French artist Denis Polge’s new series of vases show stoneware in an unusually delicate light. Constructed from paper-thin sheets of clay, pieces are glazed inside, while the outsides are hand painted with matt…

What sparked the idea to start Vaarnii? It was always a dream to do something unapologetically Finnish and genuinely remarkable. We think that the business model of 100 years ago, when items were made locally, built to last and bought to satisfy a real need, was perfect – we want to help bring back healthier consumption habits. How would you describe the look and feel of your products? They are brutal and sophisticated. One of our key values is honesty. This means full transparency not only of our manufacturing, but also of our designs. For example, if there is a seam on the product, instead of trying to hide it we want to make it part of the design. They’re not what people might expect from a Finnish or Scandinavian brand… was…

What was your starting point for the sofa? We always think strategically about what we should design for a company, and we felt there was a gap in Hay’s collection for a sofa that had a more detailed and domestic feel. We wanted to create a system that could also work as an individual piece. When you look at most modular sofas, you don’t think of them as stand-alone pieces because they’re normally just simple blocks – we wanted to move away from this idea of boxes of pillows. What feeling did you want to evoke with ‘Quilton’? We wanted to introduce craftsmanship and elegance into the collection and create a warm, welcoming feel, so we used quilting to achieve this. Combining comfort with elegance is always a challenge – we…

ECO DECO Seat of influence Prompted by the events of the past year in which more people than ever are working remotely, &Tradition has unveiled ‘Hybrid Spaces’. The collection blends the boundaries between working and living at home, and includes a reissue of the brand’s recycled polypropylene ‘Rely’ chair by Hee Welling. It’s been updated with a swivel base, castors and a gas lift to adjust its height. From £580 (andtradition.com). Hot desking New Manchester-based brand Arnie.M is on a mission to create workspaces in even the most compact of homes. Its modular and easy to adapt storage system revolves around a frame from which a choice of units – desks, shelves, cupboards – can be added in any configuration. Made locally from the highest quality birch plywood and easy to dissemble whenever needed,…